Re: food stamps and settlement

Food stamps are a "grant" from the Federal government. They are thus considered a non pay back grant or gift. They will not be re collected. This is unless you cheat on them in reporting earnings etc.

Additonally, until you receive the money, they will not take them away. It only counts when you actually receive the money.

This is one of the only things out there that we paid for in taxes of which we benefit.

Also, food stamps are a "suppliment" to the Department of Agriculture which helps to fund the farming industry which is why they can only be spent on food items. Which doesn't make sense to the wine industry except that they do not want to fund alcoholism.

This program was set up to help the farmers and thus help the poor. It is a subsidized program of the Department of Agriculture. USDA

Re: food stamps and settlement

so, if you have gotten the paltry settlement amount, they do in fact count is as income? Do you know if they divide it up, as in x mount of dollars in settlement / by months in a year???? I just need to know since the settlement they gve us went to back bills, and such, and now since it is gone, I need to try to get help with food.

Re: food stamps and settlement

They do not look at bills paid. All that counts is how much assets you have. This means amount of money you currently have in the bank, you can only own one car, one house, and how much your current income is. You do not have to explain how you spent your money. They will want to see rent receipts etc. That is because they have to figure a "budget" as to the amount of food stamps you will need.

If you have no job and can work, they will have you do a "job search." If you are over 50 you only need to complete the job search and keep a record of such. If under 50 they make you take some job search groups plus do the job search. You are only required to do this once a year at certification dates. The rest of the time you are only required to report quarters. If you receive additonal income, you must report it within 10 days

You only have to do the first two months in the beginning of your claim of job search. The Feds require you do this job search in person listing who you spoke to etc.

Re: food stamps and settlement

They will look at the lump sum. But you may be ok since it was used to pay back sums. It will then depend on what you paid on. Health care bills will count to your good.

Again, they only look at how much money you have today. However, if you got a big settlement of say fifty thousand and are saying you are broke, they may not believe you. Then try again after three months.

They get printouts of all your wages amounts in the back etc. So they already have the info and your statements will help.

Re: food stamps and settlement

ok, its just that it seemed like a great sum at the time, on paper the settlement was going to last for some time, and then next thing you know , it was gone. I have read on other posts to not settle for just the cash with no medical, that was not a possibility for us, the WC had not made a payment to my husband for 7 months, so we were desperate :-( and took what they offered. We have kids who needed clothes and food, and , well you get the idea.
Now , with winter coming, and facing yet anther round of 200.00 electric payments, and no money coming in, I just do not know what else to do. I have no way to get a job, its so stupid we settled. I just had no other choice, and now he can never work again.
anyway, thanks for helping me with my question,

Re: food stamps and settlement

You are most welcome. How about applying for Social Security Disabilty and SSI? Social Security Disability is based on what you put into the system whereas SSI is another program which pays you if you have not enough money in the system. It also would open doors to some benefits for your kids.

Surely, this is not a situation any of us wishes to be in. But it helps to know those few things out there to help.

Re: food stamps and settlement

Please call your electricity company and apply for emergency benefits - because you have children and no "earned income" for the household, you will almost surely be eligible for quite a bit of help with your heat, etc. You probably qualify for the "emergency" food stamp program and possibly "cash assistance" - which isn't much, but something. Call the St. Vincent DePaul in your area - they helped me with my rent when I could not make ends meet in this ordeal and I absolutely WILL be paying them back someday, but they do not expect you to repay. Local churches have funds set aside for families in crisis and no, you do not need to be a member of those churches. Look in the yellow pages for food banks - they are absolutely wonderful - no questions asked. I was always the one organizing fundraisers and donation drives, etc., for these things - never thought I would be on the other end, but I'll tell you what - there are people out there who really will help you.

Re: food stamps and settlement

my electric company has a collar on my pole, they have no programs to help, the only one in town that does, take two months to pay it, and they (electric wont wait for it) since we got 20,000 for the settlement in may and now its gone, as far as food stamps they wont help us, i did try calling the state to aks, but the lady is never in when i call. We used that money to pay off huge amounts of bills from the 7 months before wc settled, we were not getting payments, he uses alot for his medications too. we used some to put some wood on the side of our mobile home because the metal was falling off and invested with bees, but it wasn ot finished because we ran out of money. i have 7 people in this house to take care of, and there is no one to help me. i called chatholic charities, but they are in lexington, not here where i am. i have no car, no one to go to, people think there are agencies out there that will help you, but there are not.
my town has 3 churches and not one has any help, they just refer to foodstamp office, which has no help
i have hit the real rock bottom, and have no idea what to do next.
all i did was stay at home, teach my kids everyday, and tend to my flowers, i never did anything to KEMI, why did they do this to us? how do i fix this? what do i do now? thank you for the help and info tho, i am sure if it were someone else, it would be helpful.
just not for me